Mad Dog: Mad Daddy!

Known to some as Mad Dog, to others as Michael, but to three special kids he is known as Daddy.

From our first date Mad Dog has express the importance of his children (his child at the time). That first night before we sat down for dinner together he placed his nightly call to Gabrielle to say goodnight. Something he does each an every night she is away from him. This process sometimes means a slew of phone calls to find where or who she is with (her Aunt, her Grandmother, etc.) He takes the time to ask about her day, what she learned at school (usually the answer is nothing) and most importantly to let her know he is thinking of her even when she is away. During this calls he helps her with her homework (math, writing, etc.), when she was younger the calls would be made up stories about the kitties and dog (most of them who have passed away) and the adventures and trouble they would get into. Later the calls were just Mad Dog reading her chapters from books, that then turned into her reading him chapters.
She is his little girl and we know that it hurt him to be apart from her, but he will always be there when she needs him- no matter the miles between them.

When we found out I was pregnant, I hoped we would have a son. Part of this was for me, but the greater part was for Mad Dog. I wanted him to have a little boy to teach things too, to do things that Gabrielle had not interest in. I wanted him to be able to teach him baseball, take him to games, play superheroes and read comic books with (not that Loki won't do all those things and more). He got all that and more. He has a son named after a comic book character (though it is a villain) who has embraced the comic books and superheroes. He is excited about learning baseball (though he keeps telling Mad Dog I will teach him and Mad Dog can watch). He is a little Geek Son for a Big Geek Dad.

Loki is the youngest and is completely Daddy's Little Girl (we're waiting to see her take down Gabrielle this summer when she gets in her way). They bonded immediately and she adores him. He lets her find her way, not keeping her in a tower making her miss everything. Today Loki climbed down the (steep) stairs to our apartment all by herself with Mad Dog looking on. She keeps him on his toes and reminds him every once in a while that though he is bigger, she is badder.

I am grateful that Mad Dog is the Father of my children. I know he worries from time to time that he isn't a good father, he worries that he will become his father. He cannot be that man. The kids are everything to him. He is everything to them. Above are photographs taking on each of the kids birth days. We have them framed individually with the kids names and their dates for birth. Starting at the top, is Gabrielle (2000), then Lex (2007) and Loki (2008).